I agree about the comedians. I saw John Cleese at IU about 18 months ago, he showed Holy Grail then gave a speech. He discussed the problems. I agree it is an issue. But here's the problem. A lot of jokes over the years have been told at the expense of some people more than others. Let's pick on blonde jokes for a minute. We act like there is NO possible way anyone is harmed by a blonde joke. Is that true? Are blondes EVER turned down for a job because someone might believe they are less capable? Might a little blonde girl think she is not as smart because she is blonde? If those things happen, and I bet you will agree both are likely to have happened, what do we do?
So now carry that out to Blacks, to trans, to gays, etc.
I read Brothers in Battle about two of the Band of Brothers. Mularky made it clear that growing up in South Philly everyone was known by their ancestry. And not necessarily in PC terms either, they used the derogatory names and he felt it didn't mean anything. And maybe it didn't. What Mularky missed is the people he was fighting did the exact same thing AND it meant something. He had already lost his leg before the liberation of the camp, so he didn't see first hand what it means when people take that stuff seriously.
I don't have an answer. I'm an old, fat, white guy. I have been made fun of for that and for being a geek, but largely speaking we haven't been targeted like a Matthew Shepard or Clearance Arbery. Do you think the guys that killed Shepard may have told gay jokes? The guys that killed Arbery tell Black jokes?
So when exactly is a gay joke perfectly acceptable and when is one not? If you were sitting at a table and someone starts to tell a Black joke, do you allow it and laugh along or do you stop it? What determines it?
I love Cleese, and he told a lot of jokes about Americans, Irish, English, Germans, Blacks, Jews, etc, to illustrate his point. We all laughed. I get his point. I get your point. I'm actually pretty libertarian on this issue but I am questioning that. When do we know a joke is too far? When is an idea too far? You don't think there is a mental image about these so called "evil" (or whatever Trump used) illegals coming into our country that just destroys the debate on DACA? You don't think free speech and humor haven't contributed to these images?
trans people still have it rough. Rowling isn't helping them. Don't they have a right to stand up and say so?
My point really isn't to whole-heartedly endorse this so-called cancel culture, though it may sound that way. I'm trying to suggest this isn't just a simple "no one is ever hurt by a joke" debate. We actually need to think this through. Do we cheapen someone else's life with comments that you or I may think are harmless? Is that OK?